Doc on Comics God Grant Morrison Fires Up Comic-Com Fandom

It may have gone supernova in the new millennium, but Comic-Con International is still for comics geeks.

And their god Grant Morrison, the anchor of Friday’s “DC Focus” sit-down chat, is its hottest ticket.

But so is the sneak-peek panel Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods, which previews Patrick Meaney’s documentary on the mind-warping writer’s decades of cultural influence on Friday at 7:30 p.m. — with an unnamed but highly anticipated special guest.

“Grant’s schedule is still in flux, so he may or may not be at the panel,” Meaney told Wired.com by e-mail. “Hopefully, it will happen. We had Cameron Stewart at the C2E2 panel, so if Grant can’t make it, and even if he can, we’ll probably have an artist or two there to comment on working with him.”

Who knows? By that time, Grant Morrison’s first comic-based film We3 could finally evolve into being. Until then, Meaney’s highly anticipated documentary provides the only cinematic appraisal of Grant Morrison’s genius, for loyalists or late adopters. It features interviews with comics and cultural influentials Geoff Johns, Douglas Rushkoff, Dan DiDio and others — including Warren Ellis, Meaney’s next biopic subject.

Patrick Meaney: Right now, there’s a cut that has most, but not all, of the visual elements and music incorporated. He watched that a few days ago, and sent over a few notes, mainly about clarifying things that he said, and making sure that everything’s accurate. While I’m out in California for Comic-Con, I’m going to go to his Los Angeles apartment and watch the cut with him and Kristan and get more feedback in person. Kristan mentioned that the section on All Star Superman was a favorite so far.

Wired.com: What did you learn about Morrison while doing this film that you were unaware of before you started it?

One of the most interesting things I found out from talking to him was how autobiographical Flex Mentallo is. I always liked Flex, but I never realized how much it drew from his own life. And after hearing him talk about his childhood and growing up, it makes a lot more sense and has a lot of added resonance.

Wired.com: What was he most excited to talk about?

Meaney: He was excited to talk about pretty much anything we asked, but I think he was most interested in discussing the philosophical aspects of his work, and the way that his work in the past decade or so has been an extension of the philosophical and magical approach to storytelling he began with The Invisibles.

Most interviews with Morrison today focus a lot on how works like Batman or Final Crisis connect to larger trends in comics or the DC Universe. But they’re also very tied to his view of the universe, and the way that both he and our society experienced a depression in the ’00s. I think that you’ll walk away from the documentary with a new context for understanding all the work he did in the ’00s, and an ability to see how it connects to the events in his life.

Wired.com: Have you asked Mogwai to contribute a song to the film yet? They rule, are from Scotland as well, and contributed a track to Alan Moore‘s spoken-word release Unearthing. I’m telling you, dude, that would rule.

Meaney: I just sent Mogwai’s contact an e-mail. We’ll see if they send anything over. Their music sounds like a lot of the stuff I’ve currently laid into the film. Grant’s music is featured, both stuff from his bands in the ’70s and ’80s, as well as some tracks he’s recorded more recently that sound great.

Whether in his chair inspired by The Prisoner (top) or outdoors, Grant Morrison is comics' new god.Images courtesy Patrick Meaney/Respect Films

Wired.com: What’s the plan after Comic-Con? And is there any news on the theatrical release?

Meaney: After Comic-Con, I’m going to work on editing whatever new material we shoot there, and putting the final touches on music and visual elements. The whole film will be wrapped by September. In October, we’re going to be doing some kind of premiere event at the New York Comic-Con, and hopefully a small theatrical tour in that same time frame.

Wired.com: Can Grant fans lobby somewhere online to beg you to screen the doc in their towns?

Meaney: If there are any independent theaters out there that would be interested in playing the film, they should feel free to get in touch. If there’s enough interest, I’d be glad to set up screenings. They can let me know either via e-mail or through Talking With Gods‘ Facebook page.

Wired.com: Is there a DVD or download plan? Will Grant be pissed if it shows up on torrent sites?

Meaney: The film will come out on DVD and Blu-ray and probably video-on-demand and download in late October. I don’t know if Grant would be pissed if it shows up on torrent sites, but I will be a bit. I did notice that there’s already a Google autofill for a Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods torrent, but I guess that’s the way of things. We will have some great bonus content on the DVD that torrents won’t be able to handle!

Meaney:We3 seems to be the furthest along, and could make a great film. Supposedly, Grant’s screenplay adaptation is one of the best unproduced screenplays kicking around Hollywood. Personally, as much as I’d love to see the psychedelic insanity of Flex Mentallo or The Invisibles realized, I think the work best suited to film adaptation is Kill Your Boyfriend, which could be a great teenage Bonnie and Clyde. And Grant’s Zatanna practically writes itself as a TV show, a Gilmore Girls–meets–Buffy kind of thing.

Of course, no film adaptation of his work could match the man himself talking in a film! And there’s only one place to get that.